The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics: The Personalities, Elections, and Events That Shaped Modern North Carolina

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Review Hotter and slicker than a politician's handshake at a pig pickin' in July."--Marcy Smith, Raleigh News and ObserverChristensen brilliantly navigates the complex political past of North Carolina.--Journal of NC Association of HistoriansWinner of the 2008 Ragan Old North State Award from the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association"A lively account of history [that] includes eyebrow-raising facts."--The Fayetteville Observer"A romp through 100 years of North Carolina politics. . . . Help[s] readers understand the conflicts and contradictions that define North Carolina to this day."--Greensboro News and Record"Hotter and slicker than a politician's handshake at a pig pickin' in July."--Marcy Smith, Raleigh News and Observer"Christensen has written a terrific . . . history here, one that is very readable and absolutely jammed full of facts, figures, and anecdotes. . . . [He] lay[s] the historical basis for North Carolina politics as they exist today."--Winston-Salem Journal"Presents the pivotal figures and elections of North Carolina's twentieth-century politics in an entertaining and insightful fashion. . . . Christensen's panoramic picture of the state's modern politics is much more than fascinating."--North Carolina Historical Review"Lively and well crafted. . . . A valuable study of an important aspect of the state's history, accessible for both general and scholarly audiences."--The Journal of Southern History Read more From the Inside Flap Christensen navigates a century of political history in North Carolina, one of the most politically vibrant and competitive southern states, where neither conservatives nor liberals, Democrats nor Republicans, have been able to rest easy. In this new paperback edition, Christensen provides updated coverage of recent changes in North Carolina's political landscape, including the scandals surrounding John Edwards and Mike Easley, the defeat of U.S. senator Elizabeth Dole, the election of the state's first woman governor, and voters' approval of an African American candidate for president. Read more About the Author Rob Christensen has covered North Carolina politics for thirty-seven years at the News and Observer in Raleigh. Read more